title: Superior temporal metabolic changes related to auditory hallucinations: a (31)P-MR spectroscopy study in antipsychotic-free schizophrenia patients.
abstract: Structural deficits in the superior temporal cortex and transverse temporal gyri appear to be related to auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia, which are a key symptom of this disorder. However, the cellular and neurochemical underpinnings are poorly understood and hardly studied in vivo. We used (31)P-MRS (magnetic resonance spectroscopy) with chemical shift imaging to assess the association between left superior temporal cortex metabolism and severity of auditory hallucinations in 29 schizophrenia patients off antipsychotics. Hallucinations scores derived from the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms showed significant positive correlations with both measures of phospholipids (phosphomonoesters and phosphodiesters), and energy (inorganic phosphate and phosphocreatine, but not adenosine tri-phosphate) metabolism in left superior temporal gyrus/Heschl gyrus voxels. There was no correlation of metabolites in these regions with formal thought disorder, a symptom also linked to superior temporal pathology, thus suggesting symptom specificity. Our findings provide a link between established structural deficits and neurochemical pathology related to membrane pathology and markers of general metabolic turnover.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Philosophenweg 3, 07743, Jena, Germany, igor.nenadic@uni-jena.de.
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nenadic
authors.forename: Maren
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dietzek
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Langbein
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rzanny
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gussew
authors.forename: Jürgen R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Reichenbach
authors.forename: Heinrich
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sauer
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Smesny
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010759:Phosphorus Isotopes; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications*; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010759:Phosphorus Isotopes